Today’s Zaman

04 July 2009, Saturday

Davutoðlu backs Russian role in Karabakh efforts

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu has backed Russia’s role in efforts
to resolve a territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
noting that the Azerbaijani-Armenian and Turkish-Armenian peace
processes have improved the political atmosphere in the Caucasus.

Davutoðlu, speaking after talks in Moscow with his Russian
counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, late on Thursday praised efforts
undertaken by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) Minsk Group. Russia is one of the co-leaders of the Minsk
Group. `We appreciate Russia’s efforts for a resolution to the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in the Minsk Group. I believe we will be
able to reach a solution with Russia’s contributions,’ Davutoðlu said
during a joint press conference with Lavrov.
Armenia occupied a chunk of Azerbaijani territory in a war over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region in the early 1990s. Turkey, in a show of
solidarity with Azerbaijan, closed its border and severed diplomatic
ties with Armenia in 1993. Ankara and Yerevan, however, are now in
talks to normalize relations and have been holding closed-door
meetings to that effect. Azerbaijan, Turkey’s regional and ethnic ally
and a key energy supplier, has expressed concern over the
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, fearing it would lose key leverage in
the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
Ankara says the Turkish-Armenian and Azerbaijani-Armenian processes
are separate, although progress on one track will positively affect
the other. Davutoðlu said Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders are
expected to meet in Russia on July 18. `We thanked Russia for its
contributions,’ he said.
Davutoðlu also said Moscow, which supported Armenia in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, backed Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement. `Russia supports normalization of Turkish-Armenian
relations,’ he told reporters later in the day.
Davutoðlu and Lavrov also discussed the Cyprus problem as well as a
planned visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to
Turkey. Davutoðlu said both countries agree that the Cyprus issue
should be resolved in the United Nations. `We consider Cyprus to be a
matter of the UN and do not think that it would be appropriate to
carry Cyprus to another platform,’ Davutoðlu said, apparently
rejecting European Union pressure on candidate Turkey to agree to
concessions on Cyprus. `Turkey and Russia share the same viewpoint on
Cyprus. Russia also thinks Cyprus should be resolved within the
boundaries of the UN,’ he said.

04 July 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES ÝSTANBUL